October 18, 2026
The religious tourism sector in the Middle East is working to transform from traditional visits to monasteries and shrines to a sustainable economic sector throughout the year, as a proposal emerges to create a cross-border tourism and religious path linking Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, investing in the common Christian and historical heritage.
This project returned to the forefront of regional discussions during the month of September and early October of 2026, following a series of official meetings that included the visit of the Jordanian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Imad Al-Hejazin, to Lebanon in early October, and the meeting of the Lebanese Minister of Tourism, Laura Khazen Lahoud, with her Syrian counterpart, Mazen Al-Salhani, in Damascus on September 30, 2026. These discussions dealt with ways to enhance tourism cooperation, develop joint paths extending between the three countries, facilitate the movement of visitors and encourage Investment, awaiting the formulation of practical agreements and determining the final stations and implementation mechanisms.
The geographical and religious diversity in the three countries allows for a preliminary vision of a flexible path that can be organized in different directions. In Jordan, major stations stand out, such as the “Baptism” site at the Jordan River, which is linked to the baptism of Jesus Christ at the hands of John the Baptist, coinciding with the Kingdom’s preparations to commemorate the second millennium of this baptism in 2030, in addition to Mount Nebo, Makawar, and the Church of Our Lady of the Mountain.
The path extends towards Syria to include pivotal stations in the history of Christianity and its spread, most notably ancient Damascus and the Church of Ananias, in addition to the town of Maaloula with its ancient monasteries and the continued use of the Aramaic language, with the possibility of adding other sites based on readiness and security considerations.
As for Lebanon, the project offers an integrated experience that combines faith in heritage and nature through stations distributed geographically, including Cana of the Galilee, linked to the miracle of turning water into wine, Maghdouche and the Shrine of Our Lady of Mantara, Harissa and the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon, Annaya and the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon, Annaya linked to Saint Charbel, and Wadi Qannoubine with its historical monasteries, which allows the organization of tourist programs that extend for several days and are linked to the surrounding towns and their architectural and craftsmanship heritage.
This project provides a prominent economic opportunity for Lebanon, as it contributes to expanding markets by attracting pilgrims from Europe and Latin America, and increasing the length of stay of tourists and their spending on hotels, transportation, restaurants, and handicraft products. It also supports local development in villages and towns that host shrines far from traditional centers, and contributes to reducing the seasonality of tourism, in addition to stimulating investment in restoring sites, training guides, and developing infrastructure.
Despite the promising opportunities, the process of turning the path into reality faces challenges and obstacles that require official coordination between the three countries to facilitate border and visa procedures and organize travel groups. The success of the project also requires providing security stability, unifying standards of services and infrastructure, and forming a coordination framework that includes the ministries of tourism, the private sector, and religious bodies, to prepare a unified map and pilot programs that pave the way for the successful marketing of the regional destination.
